Soonil Hwang studies the doctrinal development of nirvana in the Pali Nikaaya and subsequent tradition and compares it with the Chinese aagama and its traditional interpretation. He clarifies early doctrinal developments of Nirvana and traces the word and related terms back to their original metaphorical contexts, elucidating diverse interpretations and doctrinal and philosophical developments in the abhidharma exegeses and treatises of Southern and Northern Buddhist schools. The book finally examines which school, if any, kept the original meaning and reference of Nirvana.
Introduction Part I: The doctrinal development of nirvana in early Indian Buddhism 1. Nirvana and its reference 2. The two nirvana theory in the early canon 3. Developments of the two nirvana theory 4. Nirvana in the Theravada Buddhist tradition 5. Nirvana in Northern Buddhist schools 6. Conclusion Part II: Annotated translations of the related texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese Selected sources for the nirvana concept and the two nirvana theory
